Championship outfit Birmingham City have granted permission to their Young Player of the Year Viv Solomon-Otabor to link up with the Nigeria U23s squad ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.

The Blues hierarchy had played hardball over the release of the highly-rated winger but softened their heart after the player and his agent appealed.

“It’s correct he has been called up to the Nigeria U23s. Initially his club refused to grant him permission to join the team, as an integral part of their first team, ” Viv’s dad, ex-Bendel Insurance star Victor-Banks Otabor, told allnigeriasoccer.com.

“But after some discussions with Viv, his agent and the club manager, the manager now granted his release on Wednesday afternoon.

“From what I know he wants to represent Nigeria, he’s a Nigerian fanatic, that I can tell you. ”

 The 20-year-old Solomon-Otabor trained with the Nigeria U23s last summer and was in line to make his long awaited debut for the Samson Siasia-led side in November/December 2015 but the Africa U23 Cup of Nations  fell outside Fifa’s international match calendar.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel